We’ve got a battle for third place in the Eastern Conference this evening, and it’s between two teams that few thought would be in this position three months ago.
The Celtics are 23-13 despite Jayson Tatum (Achilles) having not played a single minute in 2025-26, while the team also leads the East in net rating (7.7). On the other side, the Raptors are 23-15, led by a ferocious defense that is only allowing 111.7 points per 100 possessions.
Which surprise contender will emerge with a win on Friday evening? Let’s preview this game with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Raptors vs. Celtics prediction, preview
The biggest storyline for this contest is unfortunately injury news. There’s a chance that Toronto will be extremely shorthanded, as both Brandon Ingram (thumb) and Scottie Barnes (knee) are listed as questionable. Ingram left Wednesday’s narrow victory over the Hornets mid-way through the second quarter and did not return, while Barnes was able to come back on the court for a couple minutes late in the fourth quarter. Neither player has missed a single game in 2025-26, with the duo actually both ranking inside the top 10 in minutes logged in the NBA.
If either Ingram or Barnes is sidelined, RJ Barrett will be forced into a massive role for the Raptors. While it was Immanuel Quickley who hit the game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer to take down Charlotte 48 hours ago, Toronto would not have been in the position to win on the final shot without Barrett’s clutch heroics. The former third-overall pick was unstoppable in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of his team’s 31 points on 7-for-10 shooting. For the season as a whole, Barrett’s .563 effective field goal rate is a career-best, and the Raptors are 16-6 when the Canadian forward is in the starting lineup.
Still, regardless of health, the Celtics will not be taking Toronto lightly — not after dropping Wednesday’s tilt to a beat-up Nuggets squad. Boston will be looking to get back in the win column this evening, and to do that, the team will continue to lean heavily on Jaylen Brown. The All-Star was far from the problem against Denver, as Brown registered 33 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the defeat. Since the beginning of December, Brown is averaging a whopping 31.6 points per contest. It’s a stretch that includes Brown dropping a 50-burger on the Clippers less than a week ago. He’s in the zone at the moment.
Raptors vs. Celtics pick, best bet
Best Bet: Neemias Queta 10+ Rebounds (+132)
Queta is 11th in the NBA in total rebounding rate (18.5%) and he’s directly on the heels of collecting 20 boards in just 24.4 minutes on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Raptors sit in the lower-half of the league in team rebounding rate, and with Jakob Poeltl (back) still sidelined, they’ll likely be starting the undersized Collin Murray-Boyles at the five. Look for Queta to feast on the glass.
